Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9.0 User guide

USER’S GUIDE

July 2006. Version 9 Professional, Medical, and Legal, Preferred, Standard, Essentials editions.

This material may not include some last-minute technical changes and/or revisions to the

software. Changes are periodically made to the information provided here. Future versions of

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50-A11A-10160

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

v

Contents

CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1

About this guide 2

What should I expect from Dragon

NaturallySpeaking? 3

What’s new in Version 9? 4

CHAPTER 2 Installation and Training 5

System requirements 5

Plugging in the microphone 6

Installing the software 7

Activating Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12

Creating a new user 13

Setting up your microphone 16

Training a new user 18

Adapting to your writing style 19

Version 9 File Structure 20

CHAPTER 3 Starting to Dictate 23

Starting Dragon NaturallySpeaking 23

Turning on the microphone 24

Starting to dictate 25

Getting Help 29

Troubleshooting 31

The DragonBar 31

Using QuickStart 34

CHAPTER 4 Working on your Desktop 37

Programs, documents and folders 37

Switching between open windows 38

Opening and closing menus 39

Selecting buttons, tabs, and options 40

Selecting icons on the desktop 41

Contents

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

vi

Resizing and closing windows 42

Scrolling in windows and list boxes 42

Opening lists and making selections 43

Pressing keyboard keys 43

Moving the mouse pointer and clicking the

mouse 48

CHAPTER 5 Correcting and Editing 53

Correcting mistakes 53

Selecting text by voice 58

Moving around in a document 62

Copying, cutting, and pasting text 64

Deleting text 65

Spelling as you dictate 67

Playing back your dictation (Preferred and

higher) 69

Using text-to-speech 74

CHAPTER 6 Formatting 77

Capitalizing text 77

Formatting text 80

CHAPTER 7 Dictating Names, Numbers, Punctuation &

Special Characters 85

Dictating numbers 85

Punctuation 95

Dictating hyphenated words 98

Dictating compound words 100

Dictating names 101

Dictating abbreviations and acronyms 101

Dictating e-mail and Web addresses 102

Dictating special characters 103

Switching Recognition Modes 108

Contents

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

vii

INDEX111

CHAPTER

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

1

Introduction

ragon NaturallySpeaking lets you talk to your computer instead

of typing. As you talk, your words are transcribed onto your

screen and into your documents or e-mail messages.

Talking to a computer while it types what you say is called dictating.

You can dictate, rather than type, into any program that accepts text.

You can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to:

■ Compose letters, memos, and send e-mail messages. You can cut

and paste inside your documents as well as revise and format text.

Just think about what you want to say, and then say it into the

microphone.

■ Enter data into forms or spreadsheets. (Available in Professional and

higher editions) Most people can dictate numbers faster than they

can type. Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional or higher

editions, you can create custom voice commands to let you move

from field to field on your form by voice.

■ Work on the Web. You can search the Web, access information, and

navigate Web pages by speaking URLs and links.

■ Start programs and open menus.

■ Use handheld recorders to dictate while you are away from your

computer. Dragon NaturallySpeaking can then transcribe what you

said. (Available in Preferred and higher editions.)

D

1

Introduction

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

2

About this guide

This guide covers all editions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Most of the information presented in this guide is applicable to all the

editions. Differences between the editions is noted in the text.

Conventions used in this guide

1 This guide contains many examples of words and phrases you can

say when using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. These examples

appear in italics with quotation marks, for example: “Format That

Bold.”

2 Some procedures also include sample text for you to dictate.

Sample text appears in a different typeface, with punctuation in

square brackets.

3 Standard, Preferred, Professional and higher editions: This guide

applies to the five English dialects that ship with Dragon

NaturallySpeaking:

■ US English

■ UK English

■ Australian English

■ Indian English

■ Southeast Asian English

US English uses US spelling, punctuation, and time and currency

formats. We recommend US English for Canadian users since this

dialect formats numbers (including times, telephone numbers, and

currency) in North American formats.

All other dialects use UK spelling, punctuation, and time and

currency formats (some number settings depend on your Windows

Regional Settings). Where multiple dialects are used in dictation

examples, those dialects appear in a different font style. For

example:

You can also correct a longer phrase by saying “Correct [text]

1

Introduction

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

3

Through [text]” (US/Canada) or “Correct [text] To [text]” (Other

Dialects).

4 This guide uses US spelling and punctuation for consistency.

5 This guide also includes tips and notes to help you use the

software more effectively. Tips and notes appear like this:

If you pause correctly, but Dragon NaturallySpeaking still types a

command as dictation, you can force it to recognize what you say as a

command by holding down the CTRL key.

With Numbers Mode on, Dragon NaturallySpeaking tries to

interpret everything you say as a number. If you dictate words, the results will

be unpredictable. However, you can still navigate menus and switch between

programs by voice when Numbers Mode is on.

What should I expect from Dragon

NaturallySpeaking?

One reason to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking is to do your writing

more quickly; creating letters, reports, and other documents by voice.

Another is to reduce the stress associated with keyboarding. Or maybe

you just like the idea of being able to lean back in your chair, put your

feet up on the desk, and still get work done.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking is good for all these reasons, but making it

work well requires some effort from you. Dragon NaturallySpeaking

learns about your voice and pronunciation as you use it. When you use

words the program doesn’t know, it will misrecognize them. By

correcting your mistakes, you help Dragon NaturallySpeaking

improve

its ability to recognize your way of speaking.

Do I still need my keyboard and mouse?

Although you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to do almost

everything on your computer by voice, some things are still easier to

do by mouse or keyboard.

TIP

NOTE

1

Introduction

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

4

If using a mouse and keyboard is an option for you, try experimenting

with using your voice and using your hands for different tasks, to see

what works best. If using a mouse and keyboard is not an option, see

“Working on your Desktop” on page 37.

What’s new in Version 9?

For a complete list of what’s new in Version 9, see the online help.

CHAPTER

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

5

2

Installation and Training

his chapter describes how to install, set up, and train Dragon

NaturallySpeaking.

System requirements

To run Dragon NaturallySpeaking, your system must meet the

following requirements:

■ Intel

®

Pentium

®

4 (or equivalent AMD processor) 1GHz processor

or greater. Recommended: 2.4 GHz)

Dragon NaturallySpeaking will not install on machine with a

processor of less than 1GHz CPU speed.

■ 1GB RAM (512 MB free minimum)

■ Minimum of 650 MB of free hard disk space for a Custom

Installation where you install only the program files and 1 set of

speech files. Installations can range from 800 MB (US English

Essentials) to 2.5 GB (US English Professional Medical).

■ Windows 2000 or Windows 2000 Advanced Server (Service Pack 4

or higher), Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Pro or Windows XP

Home (SP1 or SP2). Windows ME and Windows NT are not

supported.

Future versions of Microsoft Windows are not supported in this

release.

■ 16-bit Creative

®

Labs Sound Blaster

®

, or compatible sound card

capable of and set to 16 bit, 11KHz for audio recording.

■ Microsoft

®

Internet Explorer

®

5 or higher (free download available

at www.microsoft.com).

■ CD-ROM drive (8x or faster) required for installation.

T

NOTE

2

Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

6

■

Nuance-approved noise-canceling headset microphone. A

microphone is included with the full product. A microphone is not

included with upgrade versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

■ Speakers - optional for playback of recorded speech and text-to-

speech features. (Available only in Preferred and higher editions).

■ An Internet connection for product activation and automatic

updates.

Plugging in the microphone

To use Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you will need to plug in your

microphone.

1 Insert the microphone plug into the MIC input jack of your sound

card. Microphones and sound cards vary, but the microphone jack

is usually red and has a picture of a microphone. If your sound card

does not have a MIC jack, use the LINE IN jack.

If you are not sure how to plug in your microphone, consult the

documentation that came with your computer.

Also, if you have a USB or array microphone (supported in

Preferred and higher editions), follow the instructions that came

with it instead of this description.

Multiple users on one computer

Dragon NaturallySpeaking is licensed on a “per individual” basis.

You are permitted to install the software on more than one

computer (for example, on a desktop and a laptop computer, or on

a work computer and a home computer), although you may not

use the software concurrently on more than one computer, and

you are permitted to create multiple voice profiles, so long as each

voice profile is for you. If someone else desires to create or use

another voice profile, however, that person must purchase a

separate license for Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Volume license

agreements are available.

2

Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

7

2 Insert the headphone plug into the LINE OUT jack on your

sound card. If your sound card does not have a LINE OUT jack,

use the SPEAKER or HEADPHONE jack.

If you already have speakers for your computer, you can also use

these to playback recorded speech instead of your headphones.

Installing the software

Before installing, modifying or upgrading Dragon NaturallySpeaking:

■ Close all open applications.

■ Turn off or disable any antivirus software; installation can

sometimes trigger a false virus report.

You must have Administrator rights to install or uninstall Dragon

NaturallySpeaking on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

For Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional systems with limited user

accounts (users with restricted privileges), if the administrator wants to create

a Dragon NaturallySpeaking user for a limited user, the administrator must

log on as the limited user. If an administrator creates a Dragon

NaturallySpeaking user for a limited user account from an administrator

account, the limited user account will not be able to access that user.

Administrator rights are not required to create a user or use the software after

installation. These restrictions also apply for an upgrade installation.

Coexistence with other Dragon

NaturallySpeaking products

Coexistence with previous versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking

You can have only one version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking installed

on your system.

Running Version 7 or 8 concurrently with Version 9 is not

supported.

NOTE

2

Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

8

Coexistence with Dragon NaturallySpeaking SDK Client Edition

You can install Dragon NaturallySpeaking SDK Client Edition 9 on

the same machine where Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is installed. In

addition, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 and Dragon NaturallySpeaking

SDK Client Edition 9 can share vocabularies and users.

You can only run one product at the same time. For example, if you are

running Dragon NaturallySpeaking you cannot run any of the SDK

Client tools or samples.

Coexistence with Dragon NaturallySpeaking SDK Client Edition

Version 8 is not supported.

Upgrading from a previous version

You can upgrade from Dragon NaturallySpeaking Versions 7 and 8.

During an upgrade, the V9 upgrade procedure will ask you to:

■ Remove the previous Dragon NaturallySpeaking installation. If you

choose not to remove the previous installation, you cannot continue

to upgrade. Removing Version 7 or 8 will not remove your V7 or 8

speech files and vocabularies.

■ Migrate your existing user files and vocabularies to Version 9. If you

choose not to upgrade your user files and vocabularies during the

upgrade, you can do so at a later time by running the Version 9

Upgrade Tool.

The user files from previous versions remain untouched in case you

decide to later reinstall the previous version.

Once V9 is installed, your previous version will no longer be

functional.

Edition considerations

You must upgrade to the same edition or higher and to the same

language.

For example, if you started with Version 8 German/English and you

upgrade to Version 9 English only, your Version 8 German users will

not be upgraded. Upgrading to Version 9 German/English will

NOTE

2

Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

9

upgrade both your German and English users. After upgrading, you

can install other Version 9 languages.

Directory Changes

For information on changes to the directory structure when upgrading

from Version 7 or 8, see “Version 9 File Structure” on page 20.

To install Dragon NaturallySpeaking:

1 Insert the first Dragon NaturallySpeaking CD into your CD-ROM

drive.

If the installation does not start automatically, use the Windows

Explorer to find and double-click setup.exe on the CD.

Depending on your installation options, you may be prompted to

insert additional Dragon NaturallySpeaking CDs.

2 Provide your customer information, including the serial number

supplied with your Dragon NaturallySpeaking installation.

3 Choose your installation directory. If there are no previous versions

of Dragon NaturallySpeaking on your system, the default directory

is:

C:\Program Files\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking9

For a list of directories created by installation, see “Version 9 File

Structure” on page 20.

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Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

10

4 Choose your Setup Type (Preferred and higher editions):

If you decide not to install some Dragon NaturallySpeaking

components by selecting Custom installation, you can install them later by

running the Setup program again and choosing Modify.

TYPE DESCRIPTION

Typical/

Complete

Installs all options and speech files and

requires the most disk space.

Custom Lets you select which options and speech

files to install. Customizing your installation

options can greatly reduce the disk space

required for installation.

Modifying options (Professional)

For the Professional edition, you can modify

the following settings during a custom

installation. These settings are applied to all

users created with this installation of Dragon

NaturallySpeaking, including users created

from Windows XP limited accounts:

■ "Modify the application's settings for all

users" displays the Options dialog box at

the end of the installation. The Options

dialog box lets you change Dragon

NaturallySpeaking’s standard behavior,

including specifying hot keys,

customizing how text is formatted, initial

microphone settings, and setting the how

often your user files are backed up.

■ “Modify the administrative settings”

displays the Administrative settings

dialog box at the end of the installation.

The Administrative settings dialog box

lets you set up the Roaming User feature

as well as well as set the backup location

of your user files and restrict users from

modifying commands and vocabularies.

NOTE

2

Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

11

Click Next to continue.

5 You can enable the Dragon NaturallySpeaking QuickStart option.

By enabling QuickStart, Dragon NaturallySpeaking launches at

system startup time and adds the Dragon NaturallySpeaking

QuickStart icon to the Windows task bar. For more information on

the QuickStart option, see “Using QuickStart” on page 34.

6 Upgrade only: If you are upgrading from Version 7 or 8, you can

select to upgrade your users as part of the Version 9 installation by

checking “Upgrade existing speech files to work with this

installation.” You may be prompted later to re-train some of your

existing users.

You can upgrade your V7 or V8 users at a later time by running the

User Upgrade Wizard from the Open User dialog box once the

product is installed. For more information, see the online help.

Installing other languages, dialects and specialized vocabularies

To install user files for the other languages or dialects supplied

with your edition, choose “Custom” from the setup screen and

click Next.

Select the user file for the dialect you want and click Next to

continue the installation

The user files for each language or dialect contain both spellings

and pronunciations specific to that region. For example, users

who wish to dictate US English spellings—including users with

accents—should install the US (American) English user files.

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Installation and Training

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

12

7 Continue following the on-screen instructions. The setup program

will install the files for Dragon NaturallySpeaking to your

computer.

8 When prompted, make sure to register your copy of Dragon

NaturallySpeaking. Once registered, Nuance can notify you of

product updates and other offers.

9 Select "Check the Internet for program updates after setup

completes." This lets you automatically update Dragon

NaturallySpeaking over the Internet when updates are available.

Click Finish to complete the installation. The program may ask

you to reboot your computer.

Activating Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

The first time you start Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you will be

prompted to activate your copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

If you do not activate the software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking will

stop working after starting the product fives times.

You must be connected to the Internet to activate Dragon

NaturallySpeaking. The activation process sends only your product serial

number and a number that uniquely identifies the machine where Dragon

NaturallySpeaking is being installed. No personal information is transmitted

to Nuance.

To activate the Dragon NaturallySpeaking:

NOTE

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Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9.0 User guide

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